This invention relates generally to an apparatus for maintaining a longitudinal bend in a medical insufflation tube and specifically to a formable clip apparatus which maintains a predetermined bend in a portion of the insufflation tube which fits behind a patient's ear. This invention also specifically relates to a fastener for retaining a portion of an insufflation tube to a patient's clothing.
Various respiratory ailments require the administration of oxygen to a patient over an extended period of time. Conventionally, one such device which supplies oxygen to a patient consists of a flexible pair of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) tubes which are centrally joined by a rigid sleeve member having a pair of cannula extending upward therefrom. These cannula are inserted into the nostrils of the patient. Each of the connected flexible tubes run along the patient's cheek, drape over the patient's ear and are joined to a single tube which is connected to an oxygen supply. However, such an oxygen insufflation device can easily be pulled to one side of the patient's face or another thereby disorienting the pair of cannula within the patient's nostrils. This causes great discomfort to the wearer of such an insufflation system and often causes facial sores.
A number of improvements have attempted to relieve this orientation problem as well as the discomforting irritations and sores. A first method uses soft pads and is shown in: U.S. Pat. No. 5,025,805 entitled "Nasal Cannula Assembly," issued to Nutter on Jun. 25, 1991; and, U.S. Pat. No. 4,699,139 entitled "Nasal Cannula Assembly with Patient Comfort Pad," issued to Marshall et al. on Oct. 13, 1987, both of which are incorporated by reference herewithin. Another method uses eyeglass frame-type devices and is shown in: U.S. Pat. No. 4,559,941 entitled "Eyeglass Frame and Nasal Cannula Assembly," issued to Timmons et al. on Dec. 24, 1985; U.S. Pat. No. 4,465,067 entitled "Oxygen Insufflation Device," issued to Koch et al. on Aug. 14, 1984; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,168,705 entitled "Nasal Inhaler," issued to Francisco et al. on Aug. 8, 1939. A third method is depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 4,572,177 entitled "Oxygen Therapy Apparatus," issued to Tiep et al. on Feb. 25, 1986, incorporated by reference herewith. Although these patents illustrate improvements in the art, they do not cost effectively solve the orientation discomfort problem.